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On December 28th the Clemson Tigers will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in a titular playoff game. Both teams come into the contest undefeated but only one can come out on top and move forward to the CFB Championship. The last time these two teams clashed in the Fiesta Bowl was in 2016 when the Tigers routed the Buckeyes 31-0, Clemson then went on to win the CFB Championship that year as well. These two championship caliber contenders are much different than they were in 2016 though the goal remains the same, win it all. The real question now becomes, how should you bet it? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered, Clemson comes in as -2.5 point favorite with the over/under at 62.5. Let’s take a look at both teams and then make our decision.
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Clemson Tigers: Planning on going back to back
The Clemson Tigers (10-3 ATS) roll into town on Saturday as the reigning, defending champions after embarrassing Alabama last year 44-16. The Tigers have had another spectacular season this year, with the league's best defense and a stellar offense to match. The Tigers quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, has thrown for at least 3 touchdowns in his last three games and 0 interceptions in his last 6. It’s worth noting that Clemson is 3-0 against Ohio State, their most recent win being the 31-0 shutout in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
There are a lot of positive things to be said about the Tigers, great defense, electric offense, an undefeated record against the Buckeyes, but there is one big negative to take into consideration. Clemson has had a very favorable schedule, the toughest team they faced is the 12th ranked Texas A&M. OSU however has faced much better teams, and a chip on their shoulder.
Ohio State: Ready to change the narrative
The Ohio State Buckeyes are reading to take on their biggest challenge of the year, taking the Clemson Tigers down in the CFB Semifinals. After losing 31-0 in their last Fiesta Bowl appearance, Ohio State has a chance to flip the script on the Tigers. The Buckeyes have an answer for the Tigers passing attack, defensive phenom Chase Young, with 16.5 sacks on the season. The Buckeyes are no slouch on defense, only allowing an average of 12.5 ppg and 247.6 ypg second in the league behind Clemson.
They boast the leagues fifth best rushing attack with an average of 272.2 yards per game and quarterback Justin Fields has thrown 40 touchdowns with just one interception. The Buckeyes have faced serious competition this year with games against contenders like, Michigan, Penn State, and Wisconsin but OSU is still undefeated. Big Ten Conference’s Coach of the Year Ryan Day is ready to take on the challenge of beating the defending college football champs, and although they might be an underdog according to Las Vegas, Ohio State’s no underdog to me.
Fiesta Bowl: Take the Buckeyes (+2.5) over the Tigers
If you put both these team’s season on paper, you’d think you were talking about the same team twice. Both squads have very similar playstyles, a hard nose defense, an offense that can score at will, and a highly intelligent and motivated head coach. The difference between these two teams is the teams they faced before heading to the Fiesta Bowl, the Clemson Tigers have had a fairly easy ride, facing only two ranked teams all season. Ohio State has taken a much different and tougher route to the Semi-Finals, facing five ranked teams and even some non-ranked notable mentions. Head Coach Ryan Day is looking to solidify his name with Urban Meyer’s and bring OSU its first National Championship since 2002. I’ll be taking the team with everything on the line and nothing to lose, OSU +2.5.
Bet Ohio State at our favorite pay per head bookie site https://www.realbookies.com/.
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